The Chair of the WTO Trade Facilitation Committee, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to WTO Dalia Kadišienė participated in the 10th session of Trade and Development Commission of UNCTAD (UN Conference on trade and development).

On 8 November 2018, the Lithuanian Permanent Mission to the UN Office and other International Organizations in Geneva organized a reception on the occasion of the 71st session of the UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which is the last session chaired by Prof. Dalia Leinartė of Lithuania who has been leading the Committee for two years.

The Permanent Representative of Lithuania, Ambassador Andrius Krivas, spoke on four occasions at the 31st session of the Working Group of Universal Periodic Review, which is being held in Geneva on 7 – 16 November 2018.

The WCO Trade Facilitation Agreement Working Group (TFAWG) met for the tenth time on 22 and 23 October 2018. Delegates, representing Customs, other Border Agencies and Trade Ministries from WCO Members, Observers from several International Organizations, the Private Sector and Academia participated in the event.

At the latest meeting held on 9-11 of October the WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation led by Lithuania’s Permanent Representative to WTO Mrs. Dalia Kadišienė, continued to show high participation and progress in an aim to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

On 8 October 2018, Lithuanian Permanent Representative to the UN Office and other International Organisations in Geneva Ambassador Andrius Krivas made an office call on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

On 3 October the Permanent Mission’s of the Republic of Lithuania to the UN Office and other International Organizations in Geneva Third secretary Jorune Martinaviciute made a statement at the 69th session of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Executive Committee.

It was with deep sorrow that we learned about the death of Valdas Senkus, Lithuanian citizen employed by the British Red Cross and seconded to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for its operations in South Sudan, who passed away on Sunday, 30 September at his residence in South Sudan.

On 26 September 2018, the Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva Ambassador Andrius Krivas made a presentation at the side event “Denial of Access” held in Geneva in the margins of the 39th session of the Human Rights Council.

On 27 September 2018, the Delegation of Lithuania took a floor at the 39th Human Rights Council session in the general debate on technical assistance. Lithuanian delegation welcomed the work of the OHCHR in assisting Georgia to promote and protect human rights on the ground and Georgia’s constructive and open cooperation with the OHCHR.

From 24 September to 2 October, the 58th series of WIPO Assemblies take place in Geneva. About 1200 participants from 191 WIPO Member States take part in this highest WIPO body with a view to discussing and adopting important decisions on WIPO governance, normative agenda and regular work.

On September 24th in Geneva (Switzerland) a memorandum of understanding was signed between the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania (SPB) and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine (MEDTU). The purpose of the memorandum is to promote the trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Lithuania.

On 25 September, 2018 the Delegation of Lithuania took a floor at the 39th Human Rights Council session in interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Ukraine. Lithuania expressed its deep concern about widespread systematic violations and abuses of human rights by Russian de facto authorities in illegally occupied Crimea and by Russia backed separatist armed groups in Ukraine’s Donbas region.

On 18 September 2018, the Delegation of Lithuania took the floor at the 39th Human Rights Council session in the interactive dialogue with the Fact-Finding Mission in Myanmar. In addition to aligning himself with the EU Statement which resolutely condemned atrocities committed by Myanmar military against the Rohingya minority, The Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva Ambassador Andrius Krivas expressed his country’s deep concern over the continuous erosion of the freedom of expression in Myanmar, which fuels violence and human rights violations.

On 13 September 2018, the Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva Ambassador Andrius Krivas delivered a statement on behalf of the Nordic and Baltic countries in the High-Level Panel Discussion on the 70th Anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide, which was held at the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council.